The Secret of the Coven
by thatawkwardfangirl270
Summary: This is a story about a girl unlocking the secrets of her family's past as well as simultaneously battling her own inner demons and struggling to keep her sanity. Book One of the Dreamwalker series
1. Prolouge

Chapter 1: The First Dream

June 17th, 2015

Sarah's house

 _I was on the edge of a cliff, the sea spread out before me, not a single cloud in the sky – a sky that was as dark as dusk and filled with shimmering stars, though it was as bright as an early summer afternoon. I heard the deafening roar of the ocean, the blaring cries of the seagulls, the quiet whispers of the wind._

 _I was wearing a simple white dress that billowed out behind me. I took a deep breath, breathing in the salty sea air that blew the mass of golden blond curls away from my face. Oh, how I loved the scent of the sea!_

 _There was a sudden rustle in the trees behind me. I turned, startled - and slipped. What happened next seemed to move in slow motion. Before me I saw a woman, perhaps in her mid-twenties, emerging from the trees. The first thing I noticed about her was her eyes - they were a radiant aqua color, unlike anything I've ever seen. They widened as I began to fall. The second thing I noticed about her was her hair - the color of flames, it danced as she moved fluidly to grab hold of my arm. The third thing I noticed about her was that she was strong - she caught me with ease and with seemingly little effort pulled me back to the safety of solid ground, only a few feet farther inland than I had been a mere moment before._

" _I am_ _ **so**_ _sorry," she said as she helped me steady myself, "I didn't know that anyone would be here. Are you alright?"_

" _Yeah," I nodded, slightly dazed as my brain finished processing what had happened. "Yeah, I'm ok… I think. Who…?"_

 _I turned to look at her, then trailed off as I noticed her attire. She was wearing an elegant white dress that trailed along behind her, silver cufflets with Celtic-like designs etched into them, and a silver crown with amethyst accents nestled in her fiery curls._

" _Do I know you?" she asked suddenly. If she noticed the strange look I was giving her, she didn't show it._

" _I…" I said, taken aback. "Um… No, I don't think so. Why?"_

" _Oh." she said, sounding… confused? Disappointed? "I don't know," she shrugged, "I just thought I recognized you from somewhere. What did you say your name was again?"_

" _I didn't…" I muttered, then brushed it aside. "Um, Maria Rose." I said in a normal tone. "My name is Maria Rose. Who're you?"_

" _Maria Rose…" she repeated, furrowing her brows and ignoring my question. "I swear I know that name… Are you sure we've never met?'_

" _Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Um," I added as she began studying me profusely, "you didn't answer my-"_

" _I'm sure that I've seen you before, somewhere." she murmured, completely disregarding what I was saying._

" _Weren't you one of those girls from a couple of months ago who…?" she trailed off, then crossed her arms in thought. "But no, there's something else…"_

" _What d'you mean, 'one of th'-?" I started, but then stopped short. Something had changed. For a second there, the entire scenery flickered from trees and stars to something blue and fluffy, from night-yet-light to morning sun. Then it's gone, and everything is normal._

 _The woman seemed to snap out of her thoughts just then._

" _Ah," she said after a second. "I see."_

" _What?" I asked, confused. "What d'you mean by that?"_

 _She simply shook her head. "I can't tell you now, Maria Rose. You're waking up."_

" _Waking up?" I repeated. "What-?"_

 _Everything changed again, for longer this time._

" _H-hang on," I started, "who-?"_

I opened my eyes. Sunlight streamed through my curtains, covering my room in a soft blanket of blue and purple light. I could hear the leaves rustling faintly outside and the birds chirping happily among them. For a moment I just lay there, trying to recall what had happened in my dream, but it was just out of reach of my consciousness. Something about red hair and the sea...?

I glanced groggily at my clock. It was only 7:43.

 _Guess I woke up early, then._ I thought. _Well, I might as well get up now, or else I'll be here all day._

I sat up and stretched. Then I grabbed my headphones and my phone from my nightstand, turned on some Fall Out Boy, and headed downstairs for some breakfast.

When I got to the kitchen, I saw a note on the counter. I picked it up and read it.

 _Gone to the office. I'll be back around 10. Be good. -Mom  
P.S.- Sarah, don't even think about leaving this house. You're still grounded from last week. Miro, be a dear and watch her please? Thanks. _

_Sure thing, Ms. Brown._ I thought, nodding to myself. Then I made myself some breakfast.

Sarah came downstairs about 10 minutes later, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, her vibrant red hair a tangled mess. As her topaz-brown eyes scanned the room, she looked slightly surprised to see me sitting at the table with a half-finished bowl of cereal.

"Well you're up early," she said, raising an eyebrow.

I took a bite of my cereal and shrugged. My headphones sat on the table next to my bowl, currently unused.

*Couldn't sleep, I guess.* I told her in sign language.

She shrugged and walked toward the kitchen.

*Your mom's out, by the way.* I continued once she could see me again. *At the office. She'll be back around 10 and you can't leave the house. I'm watching you.*

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not a child, Miro. We're practically the same age!" She reached for the cereal box.

*Yeah, but your mom said.* I pointed at the note on the counter. She picked it up, sighed, and then read the note. Then she rolled her eyes again.

"Fine." she grumbled. She closed the cabinet after getting the box of cereal and got a bowl from the dishwasher, then muttered, "What a great way to start my summer - _grounded_."

*Drama queen.* I signed, rolling my eyes.

"I saw that." she snapped, sitting across from me at the table. I raised my arms in surrender.

*Well, someone's cranky.*

"Yeah, probably because I'm grounded."

*And that your own fault. You probably shouldn't have snuck out last week for that Drake guy.*

"Dylan," she corrected stiffly, automatically. "His name was Dylan."

*Right, him. It's your own fault for sneaking out to see him and then getting caught.*

She sighed. "Well, it wasn't worth it. He was a jerk and kind of annoying. Always talked about Halo or whatever." She took a sad bite of her cereal.

*You really liked him, huh?* I signed after a moment of quiet.

"So what if I did?" she snapped. "It doesn't matter now. He was a jerk. I'm over it."

She and Dylan had been going out for about two weeks before last week. After she had snuck out to see him and gotten grounded, he called her the next day and broke up with her. And honestly? I'm glad he's gone. I never liked him. He was too stuck up in my opinion. Sarah deserves better than him. Like she said, he was a jerk. He probably knew it, too - which made him even _more_ of a jerk.

"So what're we gonna do today?" she asked, changing the subject.

*I don't know about you, but I'm gonna go to the library and get some books. Well, once your mom gets back, at least. Until then, I'll probably just draw or something.*

"Then what am I gonna do?"

I shrugged. *You gotta figure that out for yourself, Sar - it ain't my problem.*

"Jerk." she said, rolling her eyes and shoving my arm playfully.

*Well you're welcome to join me, Brown.*

She wrinkled her nose. "No thanks. I'd rather be bored all day."

I shrugged. *Suit yourself.*

I stood up and took my empty bowl to the sink. When I got back to the table, Sarah had this kind of sad, faraway look in her eyes. Almost like... longing, or... sorrow.

"Hey Miro?" She asked quietly. "Do you think I'll ever find someone? You know, who actually loves me?"

I sat down next to her. She turned to look at me with those sad topaz eyes.

*Of course I do. You're a great person, Sarah. Any guy would be lucky to have you. You just... haven't found him yet. But you will. Everyone does.* I smiled at her. *You'll see.*

She gave me a small, hopeful smile back. "Thanks, Miro."

*Anytime.* I signed.

4


	2. Chapter 1: The First Dream

Chapter 1: The First Dream

June 17th, 2015

Sarah's house

 _I was on the edge of a cliff, the sea spread out before me, not a single cloud in the sky – a sky that was as dark as dusk and filled with shimmering stars, though it was as bright as an early summer afternoon. I heard the deafening roar of the ocean, the blaring cries of the seagulls, the quiet whispers of the wind._

 _I was wearing a simple white dress that billowed out behind me. I took a deep breath, breathing in the salty sea air that blew the mass of golden blond curls away from my face. Oh, how I loved the scent of the sea!_

 _There was a sudden rustle in the trees behind me. I turned, startled - and slipped. What happened next seemed to move in slow motion. Before me I saw a woman, perhaps in her mid-twenties, emerging from the trees. The first thing I noticed about her was her eyes - they were a radiant aqua color, unlike anything I've ever seen. They widened as I began to fall. The second thing I noticed about her was her hair - the color of flames, it danced as she moved fluidly to grab hold of my arm. The third thing I noticed about her was that she was strong - she caught me with ease and with seemingly little effort pulled me back to the safety of solid ground, only a few feet farther inland than I had been a mere moment before._

" _I am_ _ **so**_ _sorry," she said as she helped me steady myself, "I didn't know that anyone would be here. Are you alright?"_

" _Yeah," I nodded, slightly dazed as my brain finished processing what had happened. "Yeah, I'm ok… I think. Who…?"_

 _I turned to look at her, then trailed off as I noticed her attire. She was wearing an elegant white dress that trailed along behind her, silver cufflets with Celtic-like designs etched into them, and a silver crown with amethyst accents nestled in her fiery curls._

" _Do I know you?" she asked suddenly. If she noticed the strange look I was giving her, she didn't show it._

" _I…" I said, taken aback. "Um… No, I don't think so. Why?"_

" _Oh." she said, sounding… confused? Disappointed? "I don't know," she shrugged, "I just thought I recognized you from somewhere. What did you say your name was again?"_

" _I didn't…" I muttered, then brushed it aside. "Um, Maria Rose." I said in a normal tone. "My name is Maria Rose. Who're you?"_

" _Maria Rose…" she repeated, furrowing her brows and ignoring my question. "I swear I know that name… Are you sure we've never met?'_

" _Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Um," I added as she began studying me profusely, "you didn't answer my-"_

" _I'm sure that I've seen you before, somewhere." she murmured, completely disregarding what I was saying._

" _Weren't you one of those girls from a couple of months ago who…?" she trailed off, then crossed her arms in thought. "But no, there's something else…"_

" _What d'you mean, 'one of th'-?" I started, but then stopped short. Something had changed. For a second there, the entire scenery flickered from trees and stars to something blue and fluffy, from night-yet-light to morning sun. Then it's gone, and everything is normal._

 _The woman seemed to snap out of her thoughts just then._

" _Ah," she said after a second. "I see."_

" _What?" I asked, confused. "What d'you mean by that?"_

 _She simply shook her head. "I can't tell you now, Maria Rose. You're waking up."_

" _Waking up?" I repeated. "What-?"_

 _Everything changed again, for longer this time._

" _H-hang on," I started, "who-?"_

I opened my eyes. Sunlight streamed through my curtains, covering my room in a soft blanket of blue and purple light. I could hear the leaves rustling faintly outside and the birds chirping happily among them. For a moment I just lay there, trying to recall what had happened in my dream, but it was just out of reach of my consciousness. Something about red hair and the sea...?

I glanced groggily at my clock. It was only 7:43.

 _Guess I woke up early, then._ I thought. _Well, I might as well get up now, or else I'll be here all day._

I sat up and stretched. Then I grabbed my headphones and my phone from my nightstand, turned on some Fall Out Boy, and headed downstairs for some breakfast.

When I got to the kitchen, I saw a note on the counter. I picked it up and read it.

 _Gone to the office. I'll be back around 10. Be good. -MomP.S.- Sarah, don't even think about leaving this house. You're still grounded from last week. Miro, be a dear and watch her please? Thanks._

 _Sure thing, Ms. Brown._ I thought, nodding to myself. Then I made myself some breakfast.

Sarah came downstairs about 10 minutes later, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, her vibrant red hair a tangled mess. As her topaz-brown eyes scanned the room, she looked slightly surprised to see me sitting at the table with a half-finished bowl of cereal.

"Well you're up early," she said, raising an eyebrow.

I took a bite of my cereal and shrugged. My headphones sat on the table next to my bowl, currently unused.

Couldn't sleep, I guess.* I told her in sign language.

She shrugged and walked toward the kitchen.

Your mom's out, by the way.* I continued once she could see me again. *At the office. She'll be back around 10 and you can't leave the house. I'm watching you.*

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not a child, Miro. We're practically the same age!" She reached for the cereal box.

Yeah, but your mom said.* I pointed at the note on the counter. She picked it up, sighed, and then read the note. Then she rolled her eyes again.

"Fine." she grumbled. She closed the cabinet after getting the box of cereal and got a bowl from the dishwasher, then muttered, "What a great way to start my summer - _grounded_."

Drama queen.* I signed, rolling my eyes.

"I saw that." she snapped, sitting across from me at the table. I raised my arms in surrender.

Well, someone's cranky.*

"Yeah, probably because I'm grounded."

And that your own fault. You probably shouldn't have snuck out last week for that Drake guy.*

"Dylan," she corrected stiffly, automatically. "His name was Dylan."

Right, him. It's your own fault for sneaking out to see him and then getting caught.*

She sighed. "Well, it wasn't worth it. He was a jerk and kind of annoying. Always talked about Halo or whatever." She took a sad bite of her cereal.

You really liked him, huh?* I signed after a moment of quiet.

"So what if I did?" she snapped. "It doesn't matter now. He was a jerk. I'm over it."

She and Dylan had been going out for about two weeks before last week. After she had snuck out to see him and gotten grounded, he called her the next day and broke up with her. And honestly? I'm glad he's gone. I never liked him. He was too stuck up in my opinion. Sarah deserves better than him. Like she said, he was a jerk. He probably knew it, too - which made him even _more_ of a jerk.

"So what're we gonna do today?" she asked, changing the subject.

I don't know about you, but I'm gonna go to the library and get some books. Well, once your mom gets back, at least. Until then, I'll probably just draw or something.*

"Then what am I gonna do?"

I shrugged. *You gotta figure that out for yourself, Sar - it ain't my problem.*

"Jerk." she said, rolling her eyes and shoving my arm playfully.

Well you're welcome to join me, Brown.*

She wrinkled her nose. "No thanks. I'd rather be bored all day."

I shrugged. *Suit yourself.*

I stood up and took my empty bowl to the sink. When I got back to the table, Sarah had this kind of sad, faraway look in her eyes. Almost like... longing, or... sorrow.

"Hey Miro?" She asked quietly. "Do you think I'll ever find someone? You know, who actually loves me?"

I sat down next to her. She turned to look at me with those sad topaz eyes.

Of course I do. You're a great person, Sarah. Any guy would be lucky to have you. You just... haven't found him yet. But you will. Everyone does.* I smiled at her. *You'll see.*

She gave me a small, hopeful smile back. "Thanks, Miro."

Anytime.* I signed.

4


	3. Chapter 2: Meeting Pretty Boy

Chapter 2: Meeting Pretty Boy

June 17th  
Town Library

I opened the heavy oak door to the library and stepped inside, taking in a deep breath. The scent of books, faded ink and worn carpeted floors greeted my nose; a welcome scent. I made my way towards the back of the library where the fantasy and young adult fiction books were located, grabbing a small book basket along the way so I could carry all of the books I was planing on getting.

As I passed the magazine section of the library, I spotted a small group of about five to eight people around my age. They were mostly boys, with the exception of perhaps a girlfriend or two among them, and were all chatting a bit louder than was necessary with how close they were in proximity to each other and how they were currently in a library. Didn't they know that libraries weren't made for talking any louder than quiet murmurs or whispers?

I suppose they had noticed me, for they had quieted rather noticeably as I entered their field of vision. Were they looking at me, watching me? It was entirely possible. I wasn't exactly invisible, not as much as I wanted to be most of the time. I glanced over as I grew closer to their table. About two or three of them were looking at me, and I quickly averted my eyes and moved hastily on.

Once I got to the young adult/fantasy section, I breathed a sigh of relief. I hadn't recognized any of those teens, but all the better. I didn't want to run into anyone from school, especially not Chris Hooper or any of his friends. They were jerks; they called me "nicknames" and such (Scarface was their favorite).

Turning my thoughts away from school and bullies, I picked up the first book that caught my eye. " _The Chaos of Stars_ ," it read. I had already read it, but I put it in my basket anyways. It was one of my favorites. The next book I picked up was _Paper Towns_ by John Green, and I took out my phone, opened Notes, and created a new note with the title of "Books To Read Later," then entered the title and author of the book in a bulleted list form. I found another book and repeated the process: either the book was put into the basket, recorded on my phone, or, if I was uninterested, returned to its proper place on the shelf.

After about 15 minutes of this I stood and did a 180, intending to look at the other shelf, only to find that I wasn't alone. There was someone else in the narrow aisle about five feet away from me to my left.

It was a guy around my age—and oh hot _damn_ was he attractive. He had dark tan skin, inky black hair that curled slightly at the ends, a jawline that could cut diamonds, and captivating sapphire blue eyes. He smiled, warm and charming, as I faced him. Then for a second his smile faltered, his widening eyes showing only blatant surprise, his mouth beginning to gape ever-so-slightly. And then I remembered—I _realized_ —the reason for his reaction; my scar. Even so, it didn't last long, and the look on his face disappeared a split second later as he regained his composure, running his hand through his hair.

"If I were to ask you out on a date," he asked, "would your answer be the same as the answer to this question?"

I raised an eyebrow. _Flirty? Check. Attractive_ _ **and**_ _cocky? Double check._ I disliked him already.

*Don't go starting any paradoxes, dude.* I signed. *Those aren't safe.*

"Ah..." He said, confused and with less confidence. "W-was...was that a yes?"

Alright, so he didn't know sign language. Typical. So I had to resort to the standard body movements that everyone was familiar with—nod, shrug, thumbs up/down, and so on. For this particular question, I shrugged in response.

"Thanks for the clarification..." He muttered quietly, though I still (just barely) caught it due to my great sense of hearing. "Knew I should've gone with the library card one..."

 _Riiiight, well if that's all..._ I turned my gaze to the bookshelf and selected one of the titles. But he wasn't through just yet.

"So would that be a 'yes' for going on a date, or...?"

 _Persistent? Check._ Five minutes in and he'd already hit four of my top five "non-decent male" no-no's list.

I turned my head to look at him and then shook my head, and went back to looking at the book I selected.

He leaned against the bookshelf. "Any chance of...redemption? Reconsideration?"

 _Oh hey, you used big words! Congratulations!_ I thought sarcastically. _Besides, if you're acting like that, then you've got absolutely no chance, buddy._

I glanced at him. He was looking at me with puppy eyes that could almost rival Sarah's (and hers were pretty strong). _Almost_ being the keyword.

 _Man, you must be pretty desperate if you're pulling_ _ **that**_ _trick on me._

I sighed, giving up. I put the book back where I got it and picked up my book basket, then headed for the front of the library to check out, leaving pretty boy behind. I already had about 5 to 8 books anyways, so I was done here. I avoided going past the magazine section in case those teens were still there and got through check-out without any problems or sudden attractive guys popping up out of nowhere and flirting with me. It wasn't until I had exited the library and began walking down the street that that particular problem arose again.

"Hey, I, uh, I didn't get your name." Pretty boy said, jogging to keep up with me.

 _With good reason!_ I thought. _And now you're_ _ **following**_ _me._

I ignored him, hoping that he'd just go away.

"O~k," he said after I didn't answer (like I could in the first place), "well...I'm Alex, by the way."

 _Great. That was_ _ **just**_ _what I wanted for Christmas. Thank you_ _ **ever so much**_ _for your name, pretty boy, now_ _ **leave me alone**_ _._

Yeah, I get a bit saucy when I'm annoyed. And pretty boy here was _really_ getting in my nerves. Could he really not tell that I just _wasn't interested_?

 _Consent, man. Consent is key. And this is not consent! I am unwilling! So stop!_

If only I could ask him to stop following me and to leave me alone... If only I could actually _speak_.

"Hey, you free on Friday?" He asked as we stopped as the "Do Not Walk" sign blinked at us on the opposite side of the road.

I eyed him out of the corner of my eye, still not responding.

"Saturday?" He prodded.

I clutched my books tighter to my body, wishing desperately for the light to turn green, for him to just go away. Sadly, only one of those wishes came true—and it wasn't the latter.

I walked across the street, my grip tightening to the point of my knuckles becoming white with tension. Pretty boy unwaveringly matched my step with even strides, clearly being blind enough to not see how uncomfortable I was. If this was how he treated all the girls he pursued, then he's gonna have a real hard time finding someone who's gonna stay with him. If only he hadn't opened his big fat mouth, then _maybe_ I would've liked him better.

"What about Sunday?" He continued.

I casually handed him a glare that clearly read _"Listen Bub, either you leave me alone, or I'll sock you in the face."_ There must've been something wrong with his communicator.

"Is that a yes?" He asked, oblivious to my warning glare.

I frowned and huffed, then started walking faster.

"Aw, c'mon, please?" He had to jog again to catch up. "It-it's for a dare, so please—?"

And that was the last straw. Whatever you do, do _not_ tell a girl you asked her out on a dare. _EVER_. You will _most likely_ get punched. Just like pretty boy did.

So yes, I punched him square in the face. It landed with a satisfying _smack!_ sound. And then I did the only thing that made sense—I ran. When I got to the cross section, I turned right, somehow knowing that he wouldn't follow me. Even so, I took another route home, just in case.

Once I reached the safely of my neighborhood I greeted Lola, the soft-furred calico stray who always hangs around here and who was currently lounging on someone's lawn, and continued homeward.

As soon as I got inside I went straight to the kitchen and made myself some hot cocoa, then went upstairs to my room. (Yeah, I drink hot chocolate in the summer. So what? It's a free country. 'Murcia for the win. And _now_ I'm just embarrassing myself, so shut up me.)

On my way there I briefly stopped at Sarah's closed bedroom door and told her via morse code with my foot that I was back from the library and that I was going to do my ritual, so I kindly asked to not disturb the sacrifice. She responded with a quick OK using drum sticks, and I resumed my pace to my room.

I'll probably tell her about the whole pretty boy situation later. But for now, I just settled in on my window seat with one of the books I got and my mug of cocoa and began to read.


	4. Chapter 3: The Date

Chapter 3: The Date

 **June 20th  
Sarah's house  
**

It had been about three days since I had met pretty boy. I still hadn't told Sarah about it yet. Speaking of Sarah, she was officially "ungrounded" yesterday and went to the park to rejoice. Ms. Brown was at her office again and I was currently working on my latest drawing and waiting for Sarah, who would be bounding up the stairs any minute to get me ready for my date. I thought back to the night before and wondered why I agreed to this.

 _ **~flashback~**_

I was in my room drawing (as usual) when Sarah burst into my room after coming home from the park.

"Hey Miro, guess what?" She said excitedly. I sighed. I had enjoyed the quiet.

*What?* I asked her after looking up from my art book.

"Ok ok, so ya' know how I was just in the park, right?"

*Right...* I signed, moving to sit cross-legged on my bed.

"Well, while I was there I met this guy - who was super hot, by the way - and we started talking and stuff, you know?"

*Right...* I repeated.

"And as it turns out, he was single! So he asked if I was free tomorrow, and I said yes, and then he asked if I wanted to hang out with him - you know, like on a date- so of course I said yes, and then his _friend_ came along - a single friend, to be exact - and we were all chatting and I might've mentioned that I had a single friend looking for somebody and-"

Realizing what she was saying, I shook my head. *No way. I'm not going on another one of your blind double dates.*

"Oh, come on, Miro! Please? Just this once?"

*No.*

"Welp, you're too late. I already arranged it and there's no escaping it this time."

*Not going.* I signed stubbornly.

"But you have to go! I already told them you would!"

*Sarah!*

She sighed. "Just this once?" She asked. "Please, just this once for me? It'll be the last time, I swear."

I squinted at her. *Pinkie promise?* I sighed, raising my pinkie.

"Pinkie promise." She swore, then we wrapped pinkies.

*Alright. I'll go.*

 _ **~End flashback~**_

Oh yeah. That was why. Well, I _did_ promise her, and we _did_ pinkie swear, so I can't back out now-

"Ok, I'm here." Sarah said, suddenly popping up into existence, accomplishing both scaring the hebbies out of me and yanking me from my thoughts. "Let's get you ready."

"There we go!" She said about an hour later, putting on the finishing touches. "You look great, Miro!"

 _Easy for you to say_. I thought. _You make everything look good_. But nonetheless, I turned toward the mirror.

See, Sarah's a natural when it comes to fashion. She makes even a magenta tank top and a pair of faded jeans look stylish (which is what she was wearing for the date). She always knows how to make anyone beautiful, even with someone as hopeless of a cause as me. I was wearing a simple pale blue dress with matching sandals. My golden hair was tamed to neat flowing curls that were held back with a rose hair clip.

*It's just a date, Sarah, not prom.* I commented.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, whatever, you love it."

I smiled softly to myself. She was right, of course. I _do_ love it.

All of the sudden, the doorbell rang. Sarah's eyes widened.

"They're here!" She squealed excitedly. "Hey, do I look ok?" She asked, looking worriedly down at her tank top and jeans.

I rolled my eyes. *You look fine, Sarah. Go on, I'll be down in a minute.*

She beamed and then bolted for the stairs. After she had left, I turned and walked over to my dresser. On my dresser was a picture of my mom, smiling in a background of roses. Next to the picture was a necklace, the same one she wore in the photo - an old fashioned key with a purple heart-shaped gem (most likely an amethyst) where the crest would be and wings (most likely angel wings) sprouted at the base of the heart as if in flight. The necklace itself was about the size of my hand and surprisingly light when I held it. I sighed and gently set it back down, looking at the photo.

 _Well, it can't be as bad as last time, right mom?_ I thought. _Let's get this over with._

I grabbed my notebook and a pencil (you never know when you're gonna need it) and put it in my shoulder bag. Casting a final glance at the mirror, I headed downstairs.

I found Sarah in the living room with a boy around our age sitting awkwardly on the couch. His golden brown bangs fell in his (oddly feminine-looking) face, slightly obscuring his amber-green gaze. He was wearing a long-sleeve white shirt with the sleeves rolled up halfway and dark jeans. He was kinda cute.

He looked up as I entered the room and smiled at me, waving shyly. I smiled softly in return, tugging slightly at my hair to try and hide the currently visible part of my scar residing on my neck. Unfortunately he noticed, and I felt his eyes gaze down at my neck and his smile wavered momentarily, but was then quickly restored.

"There you are! I was wondering where you went." Sarah said after noticing that the boy had waved as I entered. Apparently she hadn't noticed his wavering smile, but if she did, she didn't show it. "Um, it's... Ethan, right?" She asked him. The boy - Ethan - nodded. "Ok, so Ethan, this is Miro. Miro, Ethan."

"Nice to meet you." Ethan said.

Before I could answer, another boy entered the living room. A quite _familiar_ boy, to be exact.

"Hey, I'm back. What'd I-" Pretty boy stopped when he looked up and saw me. He looked the same as he did the other day when I met him, except now he had a large bruise from where I had punched him. "Oh." He said flatly. "It's you."

"You two know each other?" Ethan asked, looking back and forth between the both of us.

Pretty boy turned to look at him. "She punched me in the face."

"What?" Sarah and Ethan asked in unison, then they both looked at me. The surprise on their faces was undeniable. I simply shrugged.

*He wouldn't leave me alone.* I explained to Sarah.

"So you punched him?" She asked, crossing her arms.

*He kept on flirting with me.*

"You punched him because he was _flirting_ with you?"

I nodded.

"Well you didn't say anyth-" Pretty boy started, but Ethan cut him off.

"That's because she's mute, Al." He said. Quickly he looked at me and said hurriedly "Sorry, I know that mute is kind of an offensive term but I don't mean any disrespect, I was just pointing it out to him."

I shook my head and smiled. *It's fine. Thank you.* I said.

"She says it's fine, thank you." Sarah translated.

"How do you know she's mute?" Pretty boy asked him.

"Sign language." Ethan said simply. After seeing the confused look on his face, he muttered "Nevermind."

Pretty boy shrugged. "Whatever. Are we gonna do the date or just sit here and chat like birds the entire time?"

Ethan shot him a look and snapped at him in French. Pretty boy responded with a slightly annoyed wave of the hand and a quick response (also in French). Since I didn't know French, I have no idea what was said.

"I have no clue what you guys just said, but yes, we're gonna do the date." Sarah said. "Let's go!" And with that, we left. 

As we walked to... wherever it was we were going, pretty boy and Sarah ended up walking ahead, leaving Ethan and I behind a couple steps. For the first few minutes, not a word was passed between the two of us. Then he spoke up.

"Soooooooo…" he started creatively, rubbing the back of his neck, then trailed off. "Um," he said, sticking his hands in his pockets, "any hobbies?"

It was a start, at least. I grabbed my pencil and notebook out of my bag and jotted down my answer. Once I was finished, I presented it to him.

 **Painting,** It read, **drawing, art stuff, reading, watching YouTube**.

"Painting?" he asked. "Really?"

I nodded.

"Are you any good?"

 **Not really sure. Sarah says I'm pretty amazing at it, so I'm gonna go with that**.

He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

I nodded again.

Sarah's laughter emerged, bright and bubbly and happy, at a thing that pretty boy had said, and I looked over towards her. Ahead of us, the two of them were chatting about seemingly anything and everything.

"Did you really punch him?" Ethan asked me suddenly. I turned to look at him, only to find that he was already looking back. "Alex, I mean."

I nodded, then wrote down a full response. **Yes. He was being very persistent.**

"Hm." he said, looking impressed. "He said he got in a fight with someone. He never mentioned that it was with a girl he was flirting with."

 **Well, it wasn't a fight, more like I just punched him in the face.**

He chuckled. "Right."

"Hey guys, we're here!" Sarah exclaimed, pointing to a sign that read:

 _ **"Oaks Amusement Park"**_

I groaned. *Aren't we all a bit too old for an amusement park?* I asked her.

There was a Cheshire-like grin on her face. "You can never be too old for amusement parks!" She said, then ran inside like a little kid. Pretty boy rolled his eyes and followed her, Ethan and I a few steps behind.

"Do you not like amusement parks?" Ethan asked.

 **No, it's not that. I just think I might be too old or something.**

"That's like saying you're too old for chocolate or Harry Potter."

I stopped, wrote something down, and then displayed it, and look at him with a frown. *You can NEVER be too old for chocolate and Harry Potter.*

He smiled. "Glad we agree. Come on, we're gonna lose them." 

After about 5 and a half minutes of searching, we finally found them at one of those stands where you toss a baseball at a stack of cans - "knock them all over to win a prize!" the sign said. Sarah was probably going for the giant stuffed panda - it's one of her favorite animals, you know. Well, that and a mantis shrimp (don't ask).

Pretty boy grinned at Ethan as we walked toward where he and Sarah were.

"Hey." He said as we neared him.

"Hey." Ethan responded. A few feet away, Sarah "swore" loudly as she missed the target again (there were kids around, so the worst of it was "dang nabbit"). Ethan glanced at her before saying "Quite the firecracker, isn't she?"

"Oh you have no idea. When we passed this place she immediately wanted that panda thing. Practically broke my arm, dragging me here."

*Yeah, that sounds like Sarah all right.* I signed, mostly to myself.

"I don't speak hand motions, moon eyes, you're gonna have to translate." Pretty boy said.

 _Moon eyes?_ I thought, raising an eyebrow. Before I could write down what I had said, Sarah came up and said "Alex, hurry, I need your help getting this bear." Then she grabbed his arm and pulled him to the front of the stand.

"Is she always like this?" Ethan asked, watching Sarah drag him off, then looked back at me when they disappeared.

 ***shrug* basically**

"Huh." He muttered. Then he asked "So whatcha wanna do?"

I shrugged and looked around. There was one thing that caught my eye. Ethan must've seen where I was looking because he said "Really? The merry-go-round?"

I raised an eyebrow at him, asking the silent question of "Is the a problem?"

He smiled (I noticed he did that a lot), seeming to get the message, and shook his head. "Not at all. Let's go." 

After about 2 hours of games and prizes later, the 4 of us met back up and ended up at a fortune-teller's tent called "Miss Maggie's Inner Eye and Herbal Remedies."

"It'll be fun!" Sarah said when pretty boy had protested. So we went in.

Inside was a older woman, around 73, perhaps. She had long silver hair and gunmetal blue eyes. She sat cross legged on the floor on a pillow. The room was filled with all sorts of jars with herbs and things in them and smelled faintly of a warm fire, though there were no candles in sight (I hoped nothing was actually on fire). The woman smiled as we entered.

"Welcome." she said, spreading her arms. "Come in, sit." she gestured to the pillows across from her.

"I sense you're here to have your fortunes read." She said once we had all sat down.

"Yeah well, that's what the sign said." pretty boy told her.

The woman narrowed her eyes at him. "You don't really believe, do you?"

"In what, predicting the future? Not necessarily." he responded.

"Hm." she said, then turned to Sarah, Ethan, and I. "Who would like to go first?" She asked.

"Oh! Oh! I would!" Sarah said, practically jumping with excitement. I rolled my eyes at her and smiled a bit. She is, in all honesty, a 6 month old puppy.

The woman smiled, most likely amused by her enthusiasm. "Give me your hand, dear."

Sarah held out her hand. The woman took it palm up and examined it closely.

"Hmm..." She said, tracing her fingers along Sarah's palm. "Yes, I see great success in your future, dear." She looked up. "Just follow the butterfly." She told her.

The woman let go of Sarah's hand and turned to Ethan. "How about you dear?"

Ethan gave her his hand and she did the same thing. This time she said "You'll find the thing you want. Just not in the place that you'd expect."

Then she turned to pretty boy. He sighed. "Might as well, I guess."

She took his palm like she did with Ethan and Sarah. After a moment she looked up and said "The road you're looking down is a dead end. Try a different road—a more familiar one, perhaps."

Finally, she turned to me. I held out my hand and she took it, her cold hands tracing my veins.

"Oh." She said quietly. "Oh dear..."

"What is it?" Sarah asked.

The woman ignored her and looked at me. I could've sworn I saw her eyes change from gunmetal to violet. But if I had, it was gone within a second.

"I sense a great danger in your near future. I would be wary of the crow, if I were you." 

About 10 minutes later we're outside of OAKS Park and walking back to Sarah's house. Sarah and pretty boy are walking in front again, Ethan and I a few steps behind. I was still a bit spooked by what the fortune-teller had said, though I could hear pretty boy rambling about how it was all just fortune cookie stuff.

Ethan must've seen the look on my face because he said "Hey, you ok?" I could hear the concern in his voice.

I looked up at him and shrugged, then looked back down at my feet.  
"Are you worried about what the woman said after she read your palms or whatever?"

I nodded, avoiding his eyes.

"Well, don't be. I know that's kinda stupid advice, but it's also kinda right. If you worry about it too much then it's bound to come true. Like, what happened when Harry was given the golden egg in Goblet of Fire?"

I pulled out my notebook and pencil again and jotted down my response.

 **He put it off till the night before the next trial to open it up underwater.**

"Right." he said. After about 5 seconds he smacked himself in the forehead. "Nope! Sorry, that's procrastination. Ok, wrong thing, sorry. Maybe that wasn't such a good example. But you get what I mean, right?"

I shrugged again.

Yeah, I guess I do.

I looked up at him and smiled half-heartedly, then made the motion for "thank you" in sign seemed to get the message and smiled.

"Anytime."


	5. Chapter 4: Long Time No See

Chapter 4: Long Time No See

 **June 20th  
Sarah's house**

As we neared Sarah's house, I noticed a car in the driveway that wasn't Ms. Brown's. It was a black jeep. Though it had been many years since I had last seen that car, I recognized it immediately. I stopped walking and stared at the car. Ethan had noticed and stopped a few steps ahead of me.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, looking at me, then at the car, then back at me. Sarah and pretty boy had stopped and looked back as well.

"Miro?" Sarah asked, noticing the look on my face. "What is it?"

I didn't answer. Instead, I ran to the house. The others were close behind me. When I got inside the house, my suspicions were confirmed. In the living room was Ms. Brown, chatting with a man in his late 30's who had sandy blonde hair and hazel eyes. I immediately recognized him. The two of them looked up as I entered.

"Rosie!" The man said, breaking into a smile.

Sarah ran in a moment later. Pretty boy and Ethan were close behind her. I just stood there, frozen.

"Miro, what-" she started, then stopped when she saw the man. "Oh." She said awkwardly. "Hi, Mr. Smith."

"Hello Sarah." My dad said pleasantly, oblivious to the awkward atmosphere that now hung in the room.

"Um..." Pretty boy said. "We'll just... go now. See ya." Then he and Ethan left. There was a minute of very tense, very awkward silence.

"So," Ms. Brown said, shattering the still silence, "I'll let you guys catch up." And then she left the room, leaving me alone with my dad (and with Sarah, of course). Sarah and I sat awkwardly on the couch, positioned so that Sarah could see my hands at all times. It was easier that way.

"So how are you, Rosie?" My dad asked once we had seated.

*Good.* I signed. Sarah translated the message. My dad glanced warily at her. I recognized the look. It was the same look that everyone had when they were talking to me and Sarah said something when they expected me to speak. I saw that look quite a lot. My dad returned his hazel gaze to me.

"What's with the hand gestures?" He asked.

"She was in an accident, Mr. Smith, a couple of years ago." Sarah explained. "She lost her voice because of it."

*And got a big scar in return.* I added. She sighed and translated what I said. I moved my hair away from my face and showed him the result of the accident that happened over half a decade ago.

"Oh." He said faintly, as if nauseated by the sight of it. I don't blame him, either. "I see."

He certainly did. The scar reached from the right side of my temple, along my jaw, stretching across the part of my neck where my voice box would be, and down to my left collarbone.

There was a pause. "So where's Jamie?" He asked, not-so-subtlety changing the subject. "Is he around?"

I stiffened. Sarah cast a worried glance at me.

*You would know if you came to the funeral.* I signed (and Sarah translated gravely).

My dad looked confused. "Funeral? What funeral?"

*The one for Jamie and mom. They were in a car accident.*

"Lily and James are..." my dad trailed off, his face pale, his eyes wide. "A car... Oh god." He whispered. He sank in his spot on the couch. "Oh my god." He whispered. "How long...?"

*It was two years after you left mom. Jamie was 6.*

"Oh my god." he repeated, covering his face with his hands. "Oh my god."

After about a minute of this, he uncovered his face and took a deep breath.

"Why wasn't I notified when this happened?" He asked.

*We couldn't find you.*

"You could've called..."

*We couldn't reach you.*

"You could've..." he sighed, and all the life seemed to drain from his body.

His shoulders sagged and he looked bone tired.

 _Maybe he still loved her,_ I thought, _even after he left._

 _If he loved her then why did he leave in the first place?_ asked a voice in my head - and not for the first time. I had asked this question to myself many times after my dad had left us. I never got an answer.

"How about you come back with me." He said after a moment of collecting himself. "You know, to New York. I've got enough space for the both of us on the apartment I'm living in and it's got a great view of the—"

"No thanks." Sarah translated bluntly.

He blinked. "What?"

*I said no thanks.*

He frowned. "Why not?"

*Because this is my home. I can't just leave.*

There were 4 little words that hung between us. He saw them. So did I.

 _Not like you did._

"Oh. I-I see. Well, if you ever want to visit..." He trailed off.

I nodded. *I'll give you a call... so to speak.*

He nodded slightly. "Right." He muttered. Then in a louder voice said "Well then, I'll see you... when I see you, I guess." He stood up and walked over to where I was sitting. "It was great seeing you again, Rosie. I'll miss you." He patted my head. I felt a strong pang of déjà vu.

 **"See you later, Rosie." He said, patting my little 8 year old head. "I'll miss you."**

I pushed away the memory.

And then he left. Just like the first time, back when mom was alive…

Again, I pushed away the thought.

Silence hung in the air after he left. Sarah looked at me. Was that sympathy in her topaz-brown eyes?

"Hey," she said softly, touching my shoulder, "it's ok, Miro. Don't cry."

I looked at her, confused. I wasn't crying... I touched my cheek and found it was wet. I guess I _am_ crying.

*I'm fine.* I told her, wiping away the tears. *Really, I'm fine.*

She looked at me with those sad eyes. I felt as if she was going to say something about my dad, but then she surprised me.

"You're still going to write him a letter, aren't you?" She asked.

I looked at her, mildly shocked that she had asked me that.

*Of course I am. I always do.*

She sighed, bringing up her legs and hugging them to her chest, her head resting on her knees.

"It's not your fault, Miro. Accidents happen. There was nothing you could've done."

*Well I could've done something!* I exclaimed in sign language, using rapid hand movements to show my anger. *I could've-*

"No, you couldn't've. You tried. It failed. There was nothing else you could've done."

*But if I had tried harder, maybe-*

"No. Nothing, Miro. Nothing would've brought him back. You should know that by now."

I sighed. *I know. But it'd still be nice...*

"I know, Miro. I know."

I felt tears well up behind my eyes. I closed my eyes and forced myself not to cry. I inhaled deeply, slowly through my nose.

 _You are strong._ I whispered to myself. _There's no need to cry. Just breath._ I exhaled slowly through my mouth and opened my eyes.

*I think I'll go paint.* I told her. Then I stood up and left. She watched me go, her sad eyes burning into my back, her words echoing in my head.

 _Nothing would've brought him back..._

If only I knew that then.


End file.
